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Photo: Robsport International
General information about the model:
British roadster fans were not amused when Triumph introduced the new TR7 in 1975.
The predecessor TR6 and the earlier models of the TR series were used to round shapes and, above all, convertibles.
The TR7 - nickname "The Wedge" - came across as square and flat like a hand ax.
And it was initially only available with a closed roof, as a coupé.
"That was a break in style, but it had its reasons," says Andreas Dittiger from the TR7 interest group in Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart.
The main market for Triumph's roadsters was the USA.
The safety and environmental requirements should be significantly tightened there.
And in both cases - both in crash tests and in the emerging new emissions regulations - the old TR6 performed poorly.
With its extravagant new forms, the TR7 should document the new beginning.
The basic structure no longer consisted of a ladder frame, but a self-supporting body.
The Triumph developers were particularly brave with the extremely angular and angular design.
"Today some people think that the TR7 was ten years ahead of its time," says expert Dittiger.
Pop-up headlights, for example, only really came into fashion in this country in the 1980s.
In the US they were all the rage in the seventies.
When it came to the motorization, TR7 customers didn't have to think twice, only one unit was available: a two-liter four-cylinder with carburetor technology.
Because of the different emission regulations, the European and American versions differed considerably: In this country, TR7 drivers had 106 hp under the hood.
In the USA it was ten horsepower less.
For the particularly strict environmental regulations in California, Triumph produced a small series with injection engines.
"That was economic madness, like so many things at Triumph back then," says Andreas Dittiger.
The TR7 production moved twice, so that the vehicle was built one after the other in three plants (Speke, Canley, Solihull).
Massive industrial disputes shook the British auto industry in the 1970s.
There were also two major strikes during TR7 production.
British Leyland improvised and had the car built in different factories - sometimes here, sometimes there.
The result was sometimes massive quality defects and an associated negative reputation.
Some people today attach this to the plastic in the cockpit of the TR7.
Maybe because they miss the noble wood appliqués of a jaguar from that time.
However, this was also two to three times as expensive as a Triumph TR7, which cost around 17,000 marks when it was introduced in Germany.
The equipment was more like bread and butter, but common at the time: cranked windows and no power steering, but at least velor seats.
Air conditioning was only available for US models, for which an automatic transmission could also be ordered on request.
The fact that the TR7 was designed for the US market is also evident from the softly tuned chassis.
On the other hand, the four-speed manual transmission is crisp, with which the 1000 kilogram car can be driven briskly to sporty.
High engine speeds are a disadvantage, and the interior can be noisy on the motorway.
The five-speed gearbox, which was submitted later, is more comfortable, but these TR7s are not as lively to start with.
In 1979, the longed-for convertible came after all.
In 1980, in addition to the TR7, the TR8 followed with a different engine technology.
Instead of a four-cylinder, the car was now given a 3.5-liter eight-cylinder with 136 hp.
"Many say: Wow, eight-cylinder, something really has to work there!" Says Andreas Dittiger.
But a lot of the 30 more horsepower is eaten up by the higher weight.
"I know some TR8 drivers who really like their cars," says Dittiger.
"But when it comes to the performance of the V8, they admit that they would have hoped for more boom."
Only 2800 copies of the TR8 were then built.
In 1981 the entire TR7 / TR8 production ran out.
Why that of all people?
Because the TR7 is visually offensive, it has always been treated as an outsider.
You can even read about one of the biggest automobile “flops” in classic car magazines.
With a good 120,000 units, »The Wedge« was the most successful runabout in Triumph's TR series.
There was a lot of advertising going on: The TR7 in special paintwork and interior fittings was raffled off in a competition.
A bright yellow painted specimen appeared in the British cult series "With umbrella, charm and bowler hat".
In Germany, it was joking: "Fast as a wedge into the future" was what it was called in an advertising brochure.
Today, the TR7 is often seen as a much younger vehicle at classic car meetings or on the road.
TR7 enthusiast Andreas Dittinger has often heard such questions: "Is that a classic car?"
Cars from the 80s, not the 70s, are associated with rough edges.
The Mazda MX-5, which heralded the great renaissance of the roadster in 1990, was then rather round again (like the Mercedes SLK and even more the BMW Z3).
You have to decide for yourself which of them looks best.
Triumph is certainly the most screwdriver-friendly.
"The TR7 is the simplest farming technique," says Andreas Dittiger.
Laypeople could familiarize themselves with the matter.
Today, the trained automotive mechatronics technicians are overwhelmed with the TR7, says the Triumph fan and laughs: "Because they cannot connect a diagnostic connector."
Availability:
Most of the TR7 are in the hands of enthusiasts in this country.
The vehicles on offer are predominantly convertibles because the long-unpopular coupés were often slaughtered to obtain spare parts.
The range is significantly larger in the USA, where the TR7 and TR8 have a certain cult status.
The prices are correspondingly higher, plus there are costs for import and approval.
If you have no problems with a right-hand drive, you can also search well on the British market.
Spare parts supply:
For a brand that no longer exists, the parts situation is surprisingly good, at least as far as common technical components are concerned.
It becomes more difficult with the TR7 when you need a replacement for the body.
Sometimes there are still original parts, and sometimes they are reproduced.
Those components - such as the rear fenders - often lack accuracy of fit.
Some interior parts such as seat covers are no longer available, and if any do appear, they are sold for a lot of money.
Spare part prices TR7 (exemplary):
Set of front brake discs: approx. 50 euros
Front bumper: approx. 500 euros
Front fender, fiberglass: approx. 180 euros
Oil filter: approx. 50 euros
Weak points:
Corrosion is a basic problem, there is practically no rust-free TR7.
The neuralgic areas include the seams between the wheel arch and the bulkhead, between the so-called light glasses and the fender and between the tank panel and the side wall.
It can also bloom on wheel arches, sills and rear window frames.
The brakes, which are undersized for today's conditions, are also considered a TR7 weak point.
The front windows tend to warp under load, which is noticeable in the fluttering steering.
It only gets better if you convert the TR7 to commercially available "Performance Break Kits".
The water pump in the engine compartment has a tendency to incontinence; this is indicated by the leakage of water at the ventilation slot in the engine block on the front carburetor.
Loud rattling indicates a malfunctioning timing chain that has to be replaced with tensioner every 60,000 kilometers.
Rough cold starts affect the camps.
Well maintained, the engines can easily reach their 150,000 to 200,000 kilometers.
In general, one should be careful with overpriced US special models.
Fakes are not uncommon, and the US engines are very different from the European model.
Repairs or the procurement of spare parts are correspondingly complex.
Price:
Those who are not afraid of construction sites can find a ready-to-drive TR7 from 3000 euros.
Ordinary copies are available from around 6000 euros and up.
Rare TR8 are in the five-digit range, some cost over 20,000 euros.
Contact points on the Internet:
www.tr7ig.de
www.modern-classics-gmbh.de
https://rimmerbros.com/
https://robsport.co.uk/
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